Electric range



Jan. 14, 1947, E. o. MORTON ELECTRIC RANGE Filed May 18, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR E D O. MoRToN.

TORNEY E. -O. MORTON ELECTRIC RANGE Jan. 14, 1947.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 18, 1943 O). o 3% a 3 P. 4 I 4 9 H 4 3 M 4 3 P Q a M w a s a a B m? I a W m 4 E a s I a 4 .w l S .l 2 Il a -x fl a a 7 a WITNESSES:

:7 R T mmnw mm Mo TORNEY Patented Jan. 14,1947

2,414,162 ELECTRIC RANGE Eldred O. Morton, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 18, 1943, Serial No. 487,440

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to heating apparatus and particularly to an electric cooking range, and it has for an object to provide an improved device of the character set forth.

Electric cooking ranges, in addition to an oven, include a plurality of electric surface cooking units carried in the top or platform of the range for heating food in pots, pans and the like. The surface units are individually connected to a source of electricity by means of controls, such as switches, which are adjustable to vary the heat output of the surface units. The controls and the wiring therefor are usually installed on the range body while it is moving on an assembly conveyor, so that the time required to install the wiring and controls is a major factor in determining the maximum speed at which the conveyor can be operated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved range which may be readily assembled and wired efficiently and in a minimum amount of time.

In accordance with the teachin of my invention, the assembly of the range is facilitated by installing the surface unit controls and the wiring therefor on a subplatform or supporting member at a station separate from the assembly conveyor, the platform with the controls and wiring thereon being placed on the range body as a complete unit. This arrangement has the advantage that the controls and wiring can be installed with ease on the supporting member at benches designed for the convenience of the workers, resulting in increased efiiciency, and at the same time permitting the range conveyor to be speeded up since a minimum of time is required to complete wiring of the range while on the conveyor. This arrangement has the further advantage of facilitating servicing of the range when repair or replacement of the controls or Wiring is needed, since the supporting member may be readily removed from the range providing ready access to all of the wiring and controls.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claim taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view, in perspective, of an electric range made in accordance with the present invention and illustrating the manner of assembling the range;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of the range in assembled condition;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the supporting member which carries the controls and wiring for the surface cooking units; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a modification of the invention.

The range illustrated in Fig. 1 includes a body I ll having the usual oven and service drawers and a top or platform H provided with holes 12 for the reception of surface cooking units l3. The range body I!) and platform II are preferably made of sheet metal, the exposed surfaces being provided with a protective coating of enamel to provide a pleasing appearance.

As shown particularly in Fig. 2, the margin of the platform at each of the holes 12 is ofiset downwardly, as indicated at If, to provide a ledge on which the surface unit is supported. Each surface unit comprises one or more coiled metal sheathed heating elements l5 secured to a supporting spider Hi to provide a grid on which the cooking vessels are supported. The grid is supported in its platform opening by means of a flanged ring l'l having lugs IS on which the spider it rests. The flange of the ring I! rests on the ledge M of the platform to support the upper surface of the surface unit above the top surface of the platform I I.

The surface units are preferably of the plugin type and may be like that disclosed in my 00- pending application Serial No. 454,398, filed on August 11, 1942, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Ends I5 of the sheathed heating elements are bent outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and provided with suitable electrical contacts adapted to detachably engage electrical contacts mounted within a terminal block 2|, supported beneath the platform, when the surface unit is disposed in operative position in the range platform. It will be understood that each surface unit is readily removable from the range for cleaning by merely swinging the unit upwardly out of the platform, the mentioned contacts being separated by this movement.

Energization of the surface units is controlled by any suitable means, such as switches 22, which are adjusted by means of knobs 23.

In accordance with my invention, I mount the switches and the wiring connecting the surface units to a source of electricity on a subplatform or panel 24 which is placed on the range body after the wiring and switches have been installed on the subplatform, thus substantially reducing the time required to wire the range on the assembly conveyor. The subplatform is substantially coextensive with the surface cooking area of the range and is mounted on the range body in spaced relation beneath the platform H.

The subplatform 24 is provided with openings 25 of a size to receive the terminal blocks 2| and located so that when the subplatform is installed As shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2, the

front edge of the subplatform 24 and of the main platform I l is inclined to the vertical to facilitate reading of indicia on the knobs 23. Theswitches 22 are mounted on the under surface of the inclined portion of the subplatformwith theiroperating shafts 21 extending forwardly.

The terminal blocks 28 and switches 22 are mounted on the subplatform at a bench separate from the assembly conveyor and are connected by conductors 28 strung on the under surface'of the subplatform by means-of-insulating blocks 29, bolted or otherwise secured to the platform. Supplyconductors 3 I extending-from the switches to the rear of the range-arestrung on the subplatform by means f insulator blocks 32. The

supplyconduotors 3| are preferably provided with suitable means, such as loops 33, for ready connection to terminal "screws of a terminal block 39, shown by broken lines in Fig. 2, carried by the range 'body at a location,- convenient to the loops '33. Main electrical -le adsr30a for supplying electricity to the heating elements are carried on the back of the range body 'and connected to the terminal screws of this-block.

The range may also be provided with a deepwell cooker -34 including a heating element .35

carried by easing structure -36 in which a removable pot 31 and-cover 38 are-received. Thecasing structure 36 is received in-an-opening39in the subplatform'and is provided with a plurality .of abutment lugs 4i adapted to'rest ona flange 12 formed around the opening. v -Screws-43 extendingthroughthe flangesecurethe casing structure inaplace. A switch *44 and wiring fitherefor are provided for the cooker 34 and are installed before assembling the subplatform to the rangebody. When assembled in theran ge the cooker is accessible through an opening--46 in the main .platform H.

After thewiring, controls, terminal receptacles and cooker have been mounted on the subplatform, it'is brought to the range-body, which, as mentioned, is usuall-y movingalong-a conveyor, "and secured inthe position shown in Fig.3 .to. a

flange; 41 provided on the range body H]. The supply conductors it! m ay then-be connected to the terminal block- 39. The-main:platform I l is then'placedover and conceals the subplatform being securedin place in'any.suitablemannento r 4 the flange 41. The switch-operating shafts 21 extend through suitable openings provided in the inclined front of the main platform, the knobs 23 being secured thereto after the main platform has been secured to the range body.

While the surface units may be provided with removable reflector pans as shown in my mentioned copending application, in the embodiment herein illustrated, the subplatform is provided with shallow recesses 58 underlying the platform openings E2 to reflect heat from the units upwardly and also to catch any spillage falling through the grid-like surface units. These recesses may be readily cleaned by removing the surface units.

While in the preferred embodiment the switches 22 have been shown mounted on the front of the range, if desired, these switches may be mounted at the rear, as shown in Fig. 4. To this end, an extension 49 is formed along the rear edge of the subplatform and carries theswitches 22 :and Min .a position so thattheir operating shafts '21 project through .the'backsplasheron the-range platform. Except for this difference and-the necessary change in the location .of .the :wiring, this form of the invention is identicalwith-the first embodiment.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious tothose skilledintheart that itisnotso limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without-departing from the spirit thereof, -.and vI desire, therefore, that only such limitations .shall :be placed thereupon as .are specifioally set forth in the appended claim.

Whatl claim is:

An electric range comprising :a :range body, :a top platform having a plurality of openings r ,to -receive surface heating-units, .-a -pl11rality of sur- .f ace heating units. mounted; 0H1 saidplatformgand disposed in said openings; asubpiatformdisposed beneath said top platform,.a switchiforeachrof said surface units mounted on saidsubplatform, a terminal block Sforeachof said :surface units "mounted on said subplatform ajdjacent thesurffa'ce -uriit in such" position that the surface unit *r'naybe-connected thereto asit is5=moved into-position "in' its opening in the top"platform electri calconductors' extendingtfromeafch switch to the associated terminal block and .mounted on said subplatform, and supply conductors mounted on said subpla'tfo'rmandextendingffroma common 7 .point to .all.-of .said. switches, :vsaid .subplatform,

ductors. carried by the. subplatform being adapted to. be. assembled as .a subassembly-remete from, the rangelbody an'd'then to'.be..attac11edas'a unitor subassembly on saidrangebody;

ELDRED 0. MORTON. 

